Loughborough Lightning sign keeper Ella Gibbons to boost Superleague hopes
Monday 24 October 2016 13:59, UK
Loughborough Lightning hope that new signing Ella Gibbons will bolster their bid to win the 2017 Vitality Netball Superleague title.
The Loughborough University student and Scotland international has recently returned from a dalliance with track and field, having competed in the high jump in recent seasons.
Despite a string of impressive results, Gibbons has hung up her spikes and returned to the court, where her athleticism has drawn interest from several top flight coaches.
The goalkeeper's netball homecoming was swiftly followed by international accolades, as Gibbons competed for Scotland at Netball Europe and the recent Celtic clash against Northern Ireland, and a Superleague call up was hot on its heels.
Lightning head coach, Karen Atkinson, said: "Ella has been a fantastic surprise addition to our training environment here in Loughborough.
"She is a fantastic athlete and despite the short amount of time she has been back in netball she has proved she has all the attributes to go far.
"She is tall, rangy and can get off the floor, and with the exposure to our daily training environment I am excited at how far she can progress this season."
I cannot wait to pull on the Lightning dress, get on court and play against the best sides in the UK
Gibbons added: "After only returning to netball a year ago, to be able to play and learn alongside great players and benefit from the coaching team's expertise is a fantastic opportunity - the set-up here really is fantastic!
"I cannot wait to pull on the Lightning dress, get on court and play against the best sides in the UK."
